I like Ralph

It's that time of year again.  Yes, it's Elf season.  Elves are popping up everywhere (though mostly on Facebook).  It seems like half the world LOVES Elf season (plenty of cute photos of those little guys and gals posing) and the other half ABHORS it.  Each side has their reasons for their opinion and each side is certainly entitled to that. As for me, I'm in the middle of the road.  Hard to believe, but I can see where both sides are coming from.

We have our own elf, named Ralph by my son when he first arrived at our house Thanksgiving evening several years ago.  Since then Ralph has been showing up at our house every Thanksgiving (after dinner).  He usually knocks on the door; although no one sees him come in when we open it.  He must be quite quick because after knocking he'll appear somewhere in the living room or dining room without anyone seeing him move.  This year, perhaps knowing that Thanksgiving wasn't going to be the same this year with my parents in the hospital, Ralph appeared earlier in the day; hanging out in my son's room with a small gift for him (a Lego ornament that needed to be assembled prior to being hung on our tree which would usually go up the next day).  It had snowed the day before (so maybe that's another reason why he showed up earlier) and my son discovered him after playing out in the snow.

Ralph is a welcome visitor in our house for the month or so he stays.  He doesn't do anything too crazy (although he did get into the coffee canister once and every so often he'll leave a candy wrapper behind) or too cute (sometimes he cuddles up with some stuffed animals or hangs out on the Christmas tree).  He's not too obtrusive on our daily lives and he's less of a "watchdog" (reminding my son "he'd better watch out cause Santa Claus is comin' to town.") and more of a reminder of the season.  Upon his arrival, my son asked if it was ok to leave Ralph a piece of candy; remembering how Ralph got into our stash last holiday season.  And I heard him thank Ralph for the gift he'd brought.

Now my son is getting older and I don't expect the "magic" of the holiday to last all that much longer.   But even if he does stop believing in such "childish" things, Ralph will still come around to visit.  (And we'll still go visit Santa and take our annual family holiday photo with him; at least until my son gets married and starts a tradition of his own!)  Ralph and all the other trappings of Christmas are MY tradition.  And while they might slightly change or evolve over the years (as all things must); I'm planning on keeping them.  If only to remind myself of the magic and mystery that the holidays bring us.